Ever regretted a post after it went viral? Vicky Kaushal knows the feeling

Even though the actor has around 21 million followers online, he says any of his reel that goes viral on social media, which he had not “predicted”, makes him feel vulnerable and a “little cringed out: “Any reel that gets too much attention which I didn’t predict mai fir bohot aisa ho jata hu ki arrey yaar ye sabne kyu dekh liya. Maine hi dala tha.” (I feel that now everyone has seen it, even though I myself had uploaded it)

Kaushal isn’t alone in experiencing this. Many people feel this vulnerability with social media. Let’s understand this better in the words of Dr Abhinit Kumar, Psychiatry, ShardaCare-Healthcity. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.

“Many times, the feeling of ‘Why did I post this?’ comes after the initial excitement of sharing something has passed. At the time of posting, a person may enjoy the attention or simply feel the content is fun and worth sharing. But later, when they look at it more objectively, they start imagining how other people might perceive them. This can make them feel embarrassed or uncomfortable with something they were perfectly fine sharing a few hours ago,” the psychiatrist explains — which is exactly what also happened in Kaushal’s case.

Dr Kumar points out that people who are naturally more “self-conscious, perfectionistic or worried about being judged” may experience this more strongly.

“Sometimes we are much harsher critics of ourselves than other people actually are.”

 

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A post shared by VarunDhawan (@varundvn)

The feeling Kaushal shared about “everyone” seeing it also has a psychological basis. “There is a big difference between wanting people to see something and wanting everyone to see it,” says Dr Kumar.

“When a person uploads a post, they may be hoping for likes or reactions from their friends or followers. But when that same post suddenly reaches thousands or millions of people, the situation feels completely different.”

As per the psychiatrist, the “sudden loss of control” can make a person feel exposed or vulnerable. “They may also become very conscious of comments, criticism and how strangers are interpreting them. So, wanting attention and feeling uncomfortable with too much attention are not necessarily contradictory.”

Of course, Kaushal’s fame adds to the situation. While anyone might feel similarly, Dr Kumar says the difference is that celebrities are generally more accustomed to public scrutiny and may have developed ways to deal with it.

But that does not mean they can’t feel “cringed out” or embarrassed. Moreover, for a celebrity, the pressure can be even greater because their image is tied to their career.

“So, it is not simply about being famous or not famous. It is more about how prepared a person is for public attention and how strongly they are affected by other people’s opinions,” Dr Kumar concludes.

Now that you might have something in common with Kaushal, here’s one of his most viral reels:

 

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A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09) 

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.